I am 34 and have a 1981 Hunter 27. I have been sailing since I was about 14. This is the biggest boat that I have owned yet, but I hope to eventually get something bigger that would enable me to do some extended cruising.

There is one other guy on my pier that is a couple years younger than me and everybody else is probably at least 10 to 30 years older.

Well I'll throw this out there too incase their is any younger people on here in the Long Island Sound area that want to sail but don't own a boat yet...Anyone feel free to PM me and I'll take you sailing as I'm 24 and all my buddies are into fishing and power boats and a lot of times my gf can't go because of work so I'm left to single hand. Also as I said in an earlier post I mostly like to cruise on my boat but I think if I had a regular younger crew I would do the all the week night races so again I'll open it up to anyone out there...

I'm late 40's and my wife is mid 40's and like others, we are some of the younger folks around our marina. There appears to be a pretty good sized group of folks around our age, a few younger and the majority older.

Earlier in my career, I was in a postion where I regularly hired recent college graduates. What I found was that they generally started their working lives with significant debts. Paying off college loans and credit card debt usually leaves little for recreational pursuits for these young adults. By the time they've got a handle on their debt, they are usually starting a family and again hobbies are not high on their priority lists. From what I've seen, most youngsters today are not chosing other recreational pursuits, they just don't get to "recreate" until a good bit later in life. Those that set their priorites to allow them to follow a passion, generally have to give up a lot in order to do so, and you can't really fault those that choose to focus on other aspects of life before getting into sailing.

I'm late 40's and my wife is mid 40's and like others, we are some of the younger folks around our marina. There appears to be a pretty good sized group of folks around our age, a few younger and the majority older.

Earlier in my career, I was in a postion where I regularly hired recent college graduates. What I found was that they generally started their working lives with significant debts. Paying off college loans and credit card debt usually leaves little for recreational pursuits for these young adults. By the time they've got a handle on their debt, they are usually starting a family and again hobbies are not high on their priority lists. From what I've seen, most youngsters today are not chosing other recreational pursuits, they just don't get to "recreate" until a good bit later in life. Those that set their priorites to allow them to follow a passion, generally have to give up a lot in order to do so, and you can't really fault those that choose to focus on other aspects of life before getting into sailing.

Respectfully, I would have to disagree with this as I am in that exact category you describe - at least from my perspective and from what I have seen up here in Eastern Long Island.

I don't think the working / paying off debt / having other priorities is what is stopping people from getting into sailing. A lot of my friends actually have power boats which cost more than a sailboat. Also I see plenty of people my age buying cars, flat screens, ipods, xboxs, jet skis, vacations and plenty of other toys that both take up considerable time and money. Yet I am the only one my age (24) that I know that has a sailboat or even likes to sail. Most people my age are just not exposed to it and therefore it is something they never even think about getting into let alone buying a boat. If they do love the water they are 10 times more likely to buy a jet ski or power boat for fishing as that is just what younger people do.

I myself graduated from college 4 years ago and instanly started my career no less than a week after graduation. Worked my ass off and was promoted through the ranks quicker than people twice my age to get into a very good position, all while paying off loans, having a gf and getting engaged (and that is like a job on its own ) and generally work related doing much more than any of my friends or people I graduated with...meanwhile I was still able to have a sailboat, maintain it myself and go sailing as often as I could.

So....what I am trying to say is I don't think it has anything to do with other priorities and younger people focusing on their careers but unfortunatly just that sailing is no longer a younger person's hobby. Again this is just from my own experience as well as what I see. Who knows maybe down south or out west 24 year olds are dying to have a sailboat but just don't have the time.

I'm 34, hubby 33, and two mutts in tow about 3 1/2 years old. The bug bit us on a sunfish in Nantucket back in late 90s. Since, we have both taken lessons on boats ranging from J24s to Hunters and once bareboat on a 40' French boat (can't recall the builder), bought a 21' Aquarius daysailer and sailed her around the Long Island Sound. Are currently landlocked without a boat because we knew our location was temporary.

So excited to see so many responses to young sailors because we are cutting ties for who knows how long and will begin by cruising the U.S. east coast. Hope to see some of you out there! We can't wait to get our sea legs back and hopefully the mutts will adjust, too.

I am holding off buying a boat until this economy really crashes to the point where the average guy can afford to buy and maintain a boat without having the multi thousand dollar surprises. Yes, boats are an expense but not to the point that your entire income (like houses were) goes to support this system. Housing prices have come down and when the economy finally shrinks to a sane level then the ratios will be right for boating. But as Gordon Gecko says, "Greed is good". That is the mantra of this nation.

I have to say though, I don't think that real age matters... I've found that I relate to alot of older people around marinas better than kids my own age, who can't see beyond their next case of beer.

Absolutely Moonie. I couldn't agree more, we were really worried about the age difference at our yacht club especially among cruisers(Wife and I are in our late twenties, everyone else is over 50).

Our worrying only lasted 5 minutes, until we started hanging out with some of these cruising folk and realised what a awesome group of people they actually were. Knowledgeable, generous and man they could still teach us kids a thing or two about partying

Like I said earlier in this thread, alot of them also had an attitude and approach to life that made them alot younger than some of 25 year olds I know.

Respectfully, I would have to disagree with this as I am in that exact category you describe - at least from my perspective and from what I have seen up here in Eastern Long Island.

I moved to Montauk from Annapolis for several years when I was 26 years old. I was a partner in a marina there. We only had one sailboat in our marina of 110 slips. All of the younger people were into fishing, powerboats, and excessive drinking. If you wanted to go sailing you either went to Sag Harbor or Block island. Boy was it nice to get back to the Chesapeake where sailors of all ages abound.

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"For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar with the breeze."

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